Lunch-box.



' P. J. BIRD.

LUNCH BOX.

ABPLIOATION FILED JULY 17,1908.

Patented June 22, 1909.

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UNITED sn r are PETER J. BIRD, on NEW YORK, 'N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO MARY A.BIRD, OF NEW YORK,'N. a;

LUNCH-B OK;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER J. BIRD, acitizen of the United States, and aresident of the city of New York, borough of the Bronx,- in the countyand State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Lunch-Box, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in lunch boxes, and moreparticularly to that type of portable lunchboxes in which separate fooddrawers or compartments and a separate liquid receptacle are provided,together with means for heating said liquid receptacle, and, if desired,certain of said food compartments.

The special objectof my invention is to provide certain improvements inthe lunch box disclosed in United States Patent Number 735,656, grantedAugust 4, 1903, whereby I simplify the construction, lessen the cost ofmanufacture, and render the device more efiicient. To accomplish theseobjects, I entirely remove the solid partition,and may, if desired,remove one of the asbestos slides. In my improved construction, Iprovide a skeleton framework which not .only serves to support theliquid receptacle, but also supports the food drawers, and I provide aseparate compartment thoroughly insulated from the heat, so that foodwhich it is not desired to heat may remain in the box during the heatingof the liquid.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts mall the fig ures, and in which Figure 1 is a frontview of myimproved lunch box, showing the cover in its open position;Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 22.of Fig. 1, andshowing the cover in its closed position and the outer casing in place;and Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

In the specific .form of lunch box illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, I employ a box or casing, preferably of sheet metal and havinga top plate 10, a bottom plate 11, end plates 12 and 13, a back 14, anda hinged front 15, constituting a cover. In most receptacles this box issubstantially the same as that shown in the patent above referred to,although I eliminate the damper mechanism for controlling the openings16in the end wall 12. U I-also do notprovide any opening in the top wall10, and may, if desired, provide openings 17 in the back wall tofacilitate the draft.

Within the box, I provide a liquid receptacle 13, two'food receivers 19and 20 each in the form of a sliding drawer, and a slide 21 of asbestosor other non-conducting material.

The liquid-receptacle 18 is supported upon a v bracket or frame, whichincludes vertically disposed members 22 and horizontally-disposedmembers 23 extending from adjacent the upper ends of saidfirst-mentioned members to the end wall 13. The space'beneath thehorizontal members 23 serves to receive a lamp 24, which latter issecured to a removable slide or tray 25. The liquid receptacle restsclosely adjacent the inner. surface of the end wall 13 and extendsupwardly to adjacent the top wall 10. Adjacent its upper end, thereceptacle is provided with an offset portion 26, extending outwardlyfrom the side opposite to the end wall 13. The liquid receptacle may beprovided with any suitable form of closure, as, for instance, a screwcap 27. offset, I provide a flange 28 extending length- Wise of thereceptacle'and serving the double purpose of a support for the fooddrawer 19 and a heat deflector. The food drawer 19 rests upon the flange28 and upon-a bracket 29 carried by the endwall 12, and the upper edgeof the food compartment comes directly below the top 10 of the box. Thefood drawer is of such width that one side comes closely adjacentthe'end wall 12, while the other side comes closely adjacent the offsetportion 26, so that the food drawer and the liquid receptacle'mutuallyhold each other against lateral movement.

Below the food drawer 19 is mounted the second food drawer '20, which issupported upon a br'acket'30 carried by the end wall 12 and a bracket 31carried by the side'of the liquid receptacle.- The bracket 30 is 7substantially'the same as the bracketf29, and may be formed by rivetingan L-shaped piece to the end wall 12, or may be formed from the metalremoved in the punching of the holes 16, the metal being bent inwardlyand upwardly rather thanbeing entirelyremoved'. The bracket 31 isprovided with a horizontally-extending portion 32 terminating beneaththe food drawer 20, and a verticallydisposed portion 33 adapted toengage with Adjacent the under surface of the the side of the fooddrawer. The drawer rests upon the bracket 30 and thehorizontally-extending portion 32, and is held against lateral movementby the end wall 12 and the vertically-extending portion 33. The portion33 serves not only to hold the food drawer against lateral movement, butit serves also to insure a free passage for the hot gases risingadjacent the side of the liquid receptacle. The flame and gases ofcombustion from the lamp 24 pass into direct engagement with the undersurface of the liquid receptacle and up one side thereof. A portion ofthe gases pass beneath the food drawer 20, while the remainder passupwardly between said drawer and the side of the liquid receptacle intoengagement with the under side of the offset and the flange 28, andthence beneath the food tray or drawer 19' out the upper openings 16.

Beneath the tray or drawer 20, I provide the slide 21, which serves as apartition to separate a chamber 34 from the remainder of the interior ofthe box and prevent said chamber from being heated by the lamp. Thepartition is provided with a horizontallyextending portion 21 serving asa shelf, and is provided also with a vertically-extending portion 35serving as a partition and also serving as a support for the horizontalportion. The vertical portion 35 is disposed adjacent thevertically-disposed bars 22 of the liquid receptacle support, and thehorizontally-extending portion extends across the box and is supportedat its opposite end upon brackets 36 carried by the end wall 12. Theslide is preferably formed of asbestos, and may, if desired, have ametal border or binding 21 along its edge to stiffen the same and holdit in permanent form. The space beneath the slide is thus effectivelysubdivided from the remainder of the interior of the box, and any foodplaced within said space will remain unaflected by the heat of the lamp24. The horizontally-disposed portion 21 is preferably inclined upwardlyslightly from the upper end of the vertical portion 35, so that the heatwill be more effectively deflected against the bottom of the food draweror tray 20.

In connection with the box, I preferably employ an outer casing 37,substantially as shown in the previous patent referred to, said outercasing having an open bottom and slidable down over the box and held inposition by a strap 38. The cover 15 of the box is held closed by theouter casing 37, but I preferably employ small metal clips 39 pivoted tothe end walls of the box adjacent their upper front corners, and movableinto engagement with the upper corners of the cover 15, to insure theretention of the cover 15 in its closed position after the casing 37 isremoved.

The general construction of the box and burner beneath said liquidreceptacle, and

a food receiver within said casing and in engagement with said offsetportion to hold said liquid receptacle and food receiver each againstlateral displacement.

2. In combination, a box or casing, a liquid receptacle supportedtherein adjacent one end thereof and having an offset portion along oneside adjacent its upper end, a burner beneath said liquid receptacle, afood receiver within said casing and in engagement with said offsetportion to hold said liquid receptacle and food receiver each againstlateral displacement, and a flange carried by said offset portion forvertically supporting said food receiver.

3. In combination, a box or casing, a liquid receptacle disposed thereinand having an offset portion adjacent its upper end, a food receiverdisposed closely adjacent said oflset portion, a second food receiverbelow the first-mentioned receiver and spaced from said liquidreceptacle, and a burner beneath said liquid receptacle.

4. In combination, a box or casing, a liquid receptacle mounted therein,a food receiver within said casing and adjacent said liquid receptacle,a burner beneath said liquid receptacle, and a flange carried by saidliquid receptacle and serving to support one edge of said food receiverand also serving to deflect the gases of combustion beneath the latter.i j

5. In combination, a box or casing, a liq uid receptacle mountedtherein, a burner beneath said liquid receptacle, a food receiveradjacent the upper end of said liquid receptacle and closely adjacentthereto, a second food receiver beneath the flrstmentioned foodreceiver, and a bracket carried by said liquid receptacle and serving tosup.- port the last-rmentioned food receiver and space the latter fromsaid liquid receptacle, to permit the passage of gas from said burner tosaid first-mentioned food receiver.

6. In combination, a box or casing, a liquid receptacle mounted therein,a lamp mounted beneath the same, a removable food receiver disposedwithin said casing and adjacent said liquid receptacle, and a slidebeneath said food receiver and having a vertically-disposed portionadjacent said lamp and a horizontally-disposed portion spaced from thebottom of said food receiver and forming with the bottom of said box orcasing and one side thereof, a chamber insulated from the heat of thelamp.

7. In combination, a box or casing having a bracket upon the innersurface of one end thereof, a partition of non-conducting materialhaving a horizontally-disposed portion, one end of which is mounted uponsaid bracket and a vertically-disposed portion serving to support theopposite side of said horizontally-disposed portion, a lamp adjacentsaid vertically-disposed portion, a liquidreceptacle mounted above saidlamp, and a removable l'ood receiver mounted above saidhorizontally-disposed portion of the partition.

8. In combination, a box or casing, a frame therein includingvertically-disposed portions secured to the bottom of said box andhorizontally-disposed portions connecting said vertically-disposedportions and the ends of said box, a removable liquid receptacle mountedupon said horizontally-disposed portions, a lamp beneath said liquidreceptacle, a bracket carried by the side of said liquid receptacle, anda removable food drawer supported upon said bracket.

9 In combination, a box or casing, a frame therein, includingvertically-disposed portions secured to the bottom of said box andhorizontally-disposed portions connecting said vertically-disposedportions and the ends of said box, a liquid receptacle mounted upon saidhorizontally-disposed portions, a lamp beneath said liquid rece tacle, abracket carried by the side of said iquid receptacle, and a removablefood drawer supported upon said bracket and spaced therefrom to leave apassage for the gases of combustion from said lamp, and serving to holdsaid liquid receptacle against lateral displacement.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

PETER J. BIRD.

Witnesses:

CLAIR W. FAIRBANK, J OHN P. DAVIS.

